– Byron –
According to Foxy's report, the Bear King had absconded with a ship and the directions to a luxury resort, held within a bottle the Foxy Pirates had fished out of the sea. Unfortunately, while certainly more helpful than nothing, it hadn't provided as much of a clue on the Bear King's whereabouts as Byron had hoped. Especially as it quickly became apparent that Foxy didn't have a clue on how to reach the resort Helena's brother was presumably headed towards. He didn't even remember what the resort was called, leaving the Harmony Pirates once more with a cold trail.
While annoying, this suited Byron's purposes just fine for two reasons. Firstly, it was an excuse to spend some more time with the Foxy Pirates. After all, expecting that a single Davy Back Fight and a ten second stint as a member of the Harmony Pirates was going to foster any sense of belonging and loyalty in Foxy was naïve and unrealistic. And even if Foxy abided by the rules and intended to keep his oath of loyalty to his new captain (who had immediately sent him off to reclaim his old crew), it didn't mean the rank and file of the Foxy Pirates were going to accept being made into Bellamy's affiliates so easily.
As such, Byron needed to create more bonds between them and his crew while maintaining a hierarchical relationship. The easiest way he could think of being to slip into the role of a teacher to improve their frankly, abysmal combat skills. It said a lot if even Judy could beat most of them in a duel. Considering the long hours of dedicated supervision that were required to get a whole crew's worth of recruits up to snuff, they were going to need months at the very least.
Months, which Byron refused to spend on an abandoned island in the middle of nowhere. Which brought him to the second reason. If they needed to dally and dawdle anywhere while waiting for another clue, it may as well be somewhere that Byron had always dreamt of visiting. The Island of Music.
Elegia.
Formerly home to the Elegia Kingdom, a kingdom that had birthed some of the greatest musicians in the world and been the beating heart of the musical world. During its prime, it had laid claim to providing the best musical education in existence and it had also been where Byron's great-great-grandfather had first learned how to play the piano. Byron himself had never visited, but it had been a dream both his father and he had hoarded for years prior to…the incident. Unfortunately, by the time Byron had become independent and capable of affording the journey, the Kingdom of Elegia had been wiped out in its entirety by Red Haired Shanks.
Honestly, Byron hadn't thought the Emperor the type of person to massacre an entire population down to the last man, woman and child. However, it was undeniable that sometime between his arrival and departure, the prospering kingdom had been utterly destroyed in its entirety. Which went to on to show that you really couldn't judge a book by its cover.
Turned out that the rumors were ever so slightly exaggerated. Instead of massacring the entire population, down to the last man, woman and child…Shanks had only massacred the entire population nearly down to the last man, woman and child. For upon landing upon the island's shores Byron was greeted by a chipper young woman, who revealed herself to be the world's newest musical prodigy.
"Hi, I'm Uta! Nice to meet you.!"
"The pleasure is all mine, miss Uta. My name is Byron, a travelling musician."
Byron had always understood himself to be a musician first and a pirate second. As such, he had developed a habit of not hoisting his colors unless there was a pressing need in order to avoid the potential hassle involved. Foxy and his crew hadn't been that hard to convince either for two reasons. One, nobody in the world and nobody in their right mind wanted to fly that travesty of a flag Straw Hat Luffy had damned them to on a whim. And two, while it may have been on a technicality, Fox and the members of the Foxy Pirates were no longer part of the Foxy Pirates.
After all, when Byron had poached Foxy in a Davy Back Fight, the man had lost his rights as a captain and the responsibilities attached thereunto. Of course, he had regained them mere moments later, but as it was, he'd been ordered to form a subordinate crew. That every recruit happened to be a former Foxy Pirate didn't change the fact that it was legally, it being pirate law notwithstanding, a "new" crew who were entitled to their own flag. While they couldn't use the same one the Foxy Pirates had been flying originally, anything was better than what had been displayed on their mast when Byron chanced upon them. The Foxy Foxy Pirates had leaped at the chance to redesign an appropriate Jolly Roger. However, until they could agree on what it should look like, they had agreed to be a "peaceful travelling artisan troupe" for the duration of their visit to Elegia.
"How was your journey? We don't get that many visitors around here, apart from the semi-regular cruise vessels passing by or the occasional pirates hunting for the former."
"Thank you for asking. We did run into a pirate crew a couple of weeks ago, but we came out of the exchange unscathed. In fact, you could say that particular crew doesn't exist anymore."
"Good."
Which had all been a stroke of genius on Byron's part, because from the very first moment it had become apparent that this friendly, cheerful young woman harbored an intense aversion for all things related to piracy. It was apparent in the disturbance of her song, in the melody of her mood, in the momentary discord of her bearing. Byron hadn't known that one could pack so much vehemence into a single good while wearing such a bright smile.
"I'd have thought that more musicians would make the pilgrimage here, considering what Elegia used to be."
"You're the first in years actually. It's just been Gordon and I ever since the massacre."
"That was truly a tragedy and a great loss for the musical world." Byron nodded, completely truthfully. "I hadn't believed Red Haired Shanks to be the type of person capable of such…evil, but I was wrong."
"I hadn't either. I don't remember what happened, but I woke up to see Elegia in ruins and the Red-Haired Pirates sailing away with all our treasure."
"I'm sorry. I am being terribly insensitive." Byron apologized. "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."
"No, it wasn't your faut. You couldn't have known, and I don't usually talk about it." Uta replied, forcing out a smile. It was a brittle one. "I'm not sure why I told you either. You're surprisingly easy to talk to. Maybe it's because you're a musician too?"
"Or you were simply lonely." Byron thought. Not that this wasn't understandable. If she was being honest, Uta hadn't had many friends to call her own upon whom she could rely. Even with her rapidly expanding fanbase, the communication was surprisingly one sided. Hoping that any relationship could be equal, when one side put the other on a pedestal, was a doomed endeavor from the beginning.
Then again, people could surprise you as Judy demonstrated by wrapping Uta up in a hug. Both Uta and Marie froze, their hair standing on ends though for vastly different reasons as you could no doubt imagine.
"Er…wha…why?" Uta stammered, her hands flailing aimlessly.
"You looked like you could use a hug."
Things likely wouldn't have ended well for Byron's bartender if it hadn't been for the incredibly vulnerable look on Uta's face. Judy had a way of breaking through people's defenses and getting them to open up, as had been the case with Helena, which bordered on the supernatural.
As such, Marie calmed down in a reasonably quick manner and joined them, turning the embrace into a group hugging session by dragging Helena and Porche along with her. Foxy attempted to join in too, his face a crying mess, but was prevented from doing so by Shura wrapping him up in so much wire that he disappeared from sight. The rest of the Foxy Foxy Pirates wisely decided to hang back until Uta regained her composure.
"I'm not usually like this, you know? Don't know what came over me just now."
"We saw nothing." Byron promised, offering her a handkerchief.
He pointedly did not ask for it back.
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Meeting Gordon was like a breath of fresh air for Byron. He hadn't even realized how much he'd missed having someone he could call his equal within close proximity, someone with whom he could hold an intellectual conversation on their joint passion. Talking with Gordon let Byron return to a time when he'd been nothing but a simple aspiring musician learning from a teacher, for that was what the former king was at heart. His had been a life devoted to nurturing talents, something that hadn't changed despite losing everything to flames that had consumed his kingdom.
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Not to mention that his knowledge vastly exceeded Byron's own. Nobody could deny that Byron was a master musician in his own right. However, much of that was based on his own experiences as well as rudimentary trial and error. It had been a process that should have taken decades, shortened to mere years by Byron's raw talent. Yet, whereas Byron's education had been forcibly halted in his teenage years, Gordon's had never stopped. Perhaps, aided by his more youthful dexterity, Byron may have been the better performer but the more time he spent with the former king the more Byron found himself slipping into the role of a student. And he loved it.
"You would have fit right in during our glory days. I've not seen many who could have matched your gift." Gordon said, giving Byron a standing ovation of one once the impromptu recital came to an end. Considering who was giving it, it was high praise indeed.
"Uta being a notable exception I suppose." Byron's grin was proudly returned by Gordon. "Her voice is divine. You've done well with her."
"Ah, not everyone can be blessed by the gods of music. She didn't require much from me, only simple guidance. But she is young yet and could use more peers around her."
The prospect of giving up the pirate life and settling on Elegia was incredibly tempting. It was a promise of a simpler life, a peaceful life. If it hadn't been for the life debt he owed to Bellamy, Byron may have accepted Gordon's implicit offer. Still, a life debt he did owe, and a promise was a promise.
"Perhaps, once I've put my affairs in order." Byron replied in a wistful tone, his fingers beginning to dance once more across the piano keys. "It would be wonderful to play in an orchestra once more. Music was always meant to be played and enjoyed together."
"Very true. Very true. Regretfully, I sadly cannot offer a full ensemble at the moment, but perhaps a duet will suffice in the interim." Gordon offered, pulling out an old but lovingly cared-for violin. "That is, if you'll humor an old man?"
In response, a bright smile spread itself across Byron's face, one that had been missing since his childhood days.
"It would be my honor."
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And so, the days passed on by, Byron discovering music anew with Gordon while Shura spent his time training the Foxy Foxy Pirates in the arts of haki and the rokushiki. Byron did occasionally pop by to help them along with his music, boosting alertness and concentration levels, easing fatigue and improving motivation, but for the most part he concentrated on his own lessons.
Meanwhile, Uta commandeered the company of Judy, Marie, Helena and Porche to play all sorts of games. Some were childish, some were not but all of them were ones which could not be played alone. For the most part though, they simply spent their time exploring the city ruins with Uta as their guide, ostensibly hunting for treasure that none of them were sure did actually existed. Helena did attempt to stay aloof, but was soon swept along by Uta's enthusiasm. Judy and Marie in particular seemed to enjoy being young adults again instead of wanted pirates, an experience they mostly had to wave goodbye to after their encounter with the Celestial Dragons on Sabaody.
By the second week of their stay, the Foxy Foxy Private International Requisition And Treasure-hunting Expedition had done what they did best and organized a carnival fair, complete with joy rides, games and food stands. Heavens knew when they'd found the time, but Uta was delighted. Gordon had mentioned that she'd grown up with barely any contact with the outside world, making this her first visit to the fair.
She laughed at the comedy skits, growled good naturedly when she lost at one of the rigged games and squealed for joy when she inexplicably won. She even took part in many a play, turning a theatrical performance into a musical, much to the delight of her audience. And with every day, Byron could hear a little of the dark clouds in Uta's voice draining away, turning it into an ever clearer crystal gem.
One worthy to delight the world and bring happiness to all who'd listen. The two weeks he'd spent on the island were no doubt some of the most wonderful he'd experienced in his entire life. The highlight of which were the evening concerts with Byron on the piano, Gordon playing the violin and Uta lending it the finishing touch with her vocal accompaniment. Even when he knew he shouldn't, Byron found himself occasionally wishing that this state of affairs would go on forever.
Then…Judy happened.
"By the way guys, you'll never guess what Uta and I found today. A living transponder snail! Anybody else curious about what's inside? Now, how do I turn this on…there we go!"
One of the video recording type. More specifically, one which held within it the truth of what had happened to Elegia 11 years ago. A visual record of all the death, the destruction… and most importantly, who had been truly responsible.
"If you're watching this, look out! This girl named Uta is dangerous!"
And Judy had projected the damning truth onto a wall. In front of everyone.
"Her song can destroy the world!"
Including Uta.
The recording was cut off with a flash and a scream, the screen turning dark. Yet, as loud as the devastation immortalized within the video had been, it was utterly dwarfed by the deafening silence that followed. Nobody dared to move. Nay, nobody dared even breathe, for it felt as if the tension would choke them if they did. All eyes instinctively looking everywhere else, anywhere else except that one specific spot where Uta was sitting, her head bowed and her hands balled into trembling fists.
Eventually though, something had to give.
"Uta…" Gordon's hand never reached his ward's shoulder. Naturally, it also wasn't capable of transmitting the comfort the aged musician wanted to express. None of the assurances or the apologies of the former king received a chance to move beyond his lips, because the moment the first syllables were voiced, Uta shot up and fled the room. The heavy doors slammed shut behind her, the sound echoing throughout the grand hall like a hundred accusations.
Someone hiccupped.
Five hundred heads turned as one, necks craning as a thousand eyes focused on the figure standing frozen next to the now inert transponder snail. After breaking out of his shell during the Davy Back Fight, Judy had become increasingly more boisterous and outspoken, taking the initiative more often and his steps filled with more confidence. One which a man could only obtain by successfully defending his lady and could not so easily be snuffed out under normal circumstances. These weren't normal circumstances.
None of that confidence was present in his bearing now, his face draining of all color over the course of the recording until it bore closer resemblance to a ghost compared to anything else. Now, faced with the accusing stares of almost every living soul within a one-mile radius, Judy's tongue decided that enough was enough and went on strike. Which explained why it took him nearly a whole minute to force out the words, words which would leave lasting scars on Judy himself for the rest of his life.
"I-I didn't know…"
In the distant future, Foxy would mark this day in his bestselling memoirs, as the day on which the Compassionate Captain Judy transitioned from being a boy into a man. A titan of his age, who sought to fully understand the consequences of his actions, regardless of how insignificant they might have seemed at the time. But that was a tale best reserved for another time and that day was far off yet.
"UTAAAA!"
As such, when Gordon stormed out of the hall in search of his ward, he left behind a crowd of five hundreds pirates soullessly staring down a single individual, whose eyes in turn refused to budge from the tip of his shoes.
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